First 'Mobile Workers' Shelter' Opens in Gwangju, Gyeonggi... Lee Jae-myung: "A Society That Respects Labor Is Needed"

[Asia Economy (Gwangju) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The 'Gyeonggi Mobile Workers' Shelter,' one of the labor sector pledges of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung during his 7th term, officially opened on the 20th in Gyean-dong, Gwangju City, and began full-scale operation.

The opening ceremony was attended by Governor Lee Jae-myung, Gwangju Mayor Shin Dong-heon, National Assembly members So Byung-hoon and Lim Jong-sung, Gwangju City Council Chairman Park Hyun-chul, provincial council members Park Deok-dong, Ahn Ki-gwon, Park Gwan-yeol, Lee Myeong-dong, Kim Jang-il, Heo Won, Han Gi-seok, head of the Gyeonggi branch of the National Substitute Driver Labor Union, mobile workers, and about 50 related officials from institutions and organizations.

In his greeting, Governor Lee said, "The nature of labor in our society has changed significantly recently," and pointed out, "Especially with the emergence of the platform economy, new types of workers such as mobile workers are increasing, but related laws and policies have not kept pace, resulting in many aspects of marginalization."

He continued, "To move toward a society where labor is respected, new alternatives and policies for new forms of labor are necessary. Therefore, Gyeonggi Province has implemented the policy of the Mobile Workers' Shelter," and urged, "I ask for great interest from all sectors so that the majority of workers can live happy lives with good jobs and a future."

The Gyeonggi Mobile Workers' Shelter is a project first initiated during the 7th term to guarantee rest conditions and improve working environments for mobile workers such as substitute drivers, quick service workers, delivery drivers, and postal workers, who have long waiting times and lack proper rest spaces.

This Mobile Workers' Shelter in Gyeonggi was opened on the 5th floor of Royal Palace Tower in Gyean-dong, with a total project cost of 286.7 million KRW, considering urban accessibility and surrounding traffic conditions, covering an area of 195㎡ (approximately 60 pyeong).

The facility includes male and female lounges, sleeping rooms, counseling rooms, an operations office, a multipurpose room, and a pantry. Operating hours are daily from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.

In particular, various programs for mobile workers such as legal and labor consultations, health check services, and job counseling are also provided.

The province plans to open a total of four Mobile Workers' Shelters starting with Gwangju in the first half of this year, followed by Suwon, Hanam, and Seongnam. In the second half, five additional locations will be selected through city and county competitions, aiming to establish a total of 13 shelters by 2021.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.